schleicher



1956 E. M. SCHLEICHER BOOKRACKS INVENTOR. fig 9126M Sch/ejc/zer Filed Oct. 26 1951 United States Parent BOOKRACKS Eugene M. Schleicher, Woodstock, N. Y.; Agnes E. Schleicher, executrix of the estate of said Eugene M. Schleieher, deceased Application October 26, 1951, Serial No. 253,299 1 Claim. (Cl. 211-43) This invention relates to bookracks and more particularly to bookracks of the foldable kind.

The bookrack here described is so designed as to enable one to form and use any one of four differently sized sections according to the number of books to be stacked, and has, therefore, great advantages over the usual bookends and/ or bookracks.

Unconnected bookends do not hold securely the books placed between them because either or both ends may shift.

Bookracks in common use are generally just a rigid frame consisting of a base and two upright endpieces. The frame is of a definite length so that a small group of books has the support of only one of these upright endpieces, thus it is impossible to keep the books in their proper upright position.

To overcome these shortcomings I have constructed an improved bookrack consisting of a base and two end pieces which are of different vertical heights and hinged each to one end of the base.

The invention consists in a base or book supporting member, an end piece hinged to one end thereof which may have the form of a small cabinet, and another end piece hinged to the other end of said base, which may also have the form of a small cabinet and which may be of the same size and shape of the first end piece or larger or smaller. Such endpieces may be given a utilitarian use. These hinged end pieces have one side which may be placed in longitudinal continuation of said base, or may be pivotally moved over onto the upper surface of said base to occupy space thereon equal to the length of the end piece in faying relations p with said base surface.

Thus one or the other end piece may be transposed upon said upper surface, or the bookrack may be used without any such end pieces upon said surface of said base. The end pieces act also as bookends.

The invention will be further described, embodiments thereof will be shown in the drawings, and the invention will be finally pointed out in the claim.

In the accompanying drawings,

Figure l is a general view of the rack with the short end piece extended and the long or high end piece folded upon the base, with books held between the two end pieces.

Figure 2 is a front view-fully extended.

Figure 3 is a top view of Fig. 2.

Figure 4 is a front view with positions.

Figure 5 is a bottom view of Figure 2 showing the construction of the hinges.

Figure 6 is a partial cross section of the short end piece, not shown in drawing, also showing end of base plate.

Similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts throughout.

Figure 2 shows the three main parts of my bookrack: the base A, the low end piece B and the high end piece C. Both end pieces have along their bases inserted metal pieces 1 and 2 (in this case two in each end piece) protruding on the side towards base ends of the metal pieces 1 and 2 fit into slots 5, 6 cut into the end pieces in various A. These protruding 2,732,082 Patented Jan. 24, 1956 the ends 8, 9 of base A. (See Figure 5 which is a bottom view of the rack.) Pins 3 and 4 driven into the sides of both ends of base A and through the protruding metal pieces 1 and 2 (inserted into slots of base A) form the pivots of a hinge arrangement by which the end pieces B and C are fastened to their respective ends of base A. As the upper edges of the ends of base A are rounded at 7 concentrically to the pins 3 and 4, the end pieces B and C can be turned from their erect position (as in Fig. 2) over and on top of base A (as in Fig. 4).

This improved bookrack provides thus the following advantages: Instead of having a rigid frame into which only a definite number of books could be placed and held in their proper upright position, the improved rack provides four difierent spacings by merely turning one or both end pieces B and C.

Figure 2 which shows the rack fully extended illustrates the largest space available (line a). To accommodate a smaller group of books the end piece B is turned over upon base A. (See Figure 4, line b shows the space thus provided.) For a still smaller group of books the end piece B is extended or turned back to its original position and end piece C is turned over upon base A. The space thus gained is illustrated by line 0 in Figure l. The end pieces act as bookrests, and as in the embodiment shown, each of these is self-supporting in that the apex of the right angle of the end piece is pivoted to the base, so that in either position of the right angle within a sweep of a solid foundation is obtained to hold the end piece bookrests in a position to in turn hold the books. To hold just a few books both end pieces B and C are folded over upon base A. See d in Figure 4.

Thus, by just turning over one or both end pieces this invention provides four bookracks in one.

I wish it to be understood that I do not desire to be limited to the exact details of construction shown and described, for obvious modifications will occur to a person skilled in the art.

I claim:

In a bookrack, the combination of a base plate having an underside and an upper side, hinges at both transverse ends of said base plate, and a pair of substantially rectangular end members being pivotally connected by said hinges to said transverse ends of said base plate, a first side of each of said end members forming continuation of said underside of said base plate when said end members are pivoted outwardly and away from said base plate, and a second side of each of said end members being in faying parallel relationship with said upper side of said base plate when said end members are pivoted onto said base plate, the length of said base plate being in excess of the combined length of said second sides of said end members, said second sides of said end members being of difierent length, and said first and said second sides of each of said end members being of a length sufficient to form a stable and substantially vertical support for the books placed onto said upper side of said base plate, whereby said bookrack is adapted to support a column of books extending the full length of said upper side of said base plate when said end members are pivoted outwardly to form with said first sides thereof continuations of said underside of said base plate, or columns of books shorter than said base plate when the one, the other, or both said end members are pivoted onto said upper side of said base plate.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 399,415 Kalfenberger Mar. 12, 1889 400,925 Lovering Apr. 9, 1889 1,568,690 Parsons Jan. 5, 1926 1,751,677 Amstutz Mar. 25, 1930 2,134,606 Hackworth et al. Oct. 25, 1938 

